


Window of Opportunity

by Emachinescat



Series: Sesquipedalian [19]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Humor, mild crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-11
Updated: 2011-01-11
Packaged: 2018-01-14 06:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1256050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emachinescat/pseuds/Emachinescat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>defenestrate, v.<br/>(dee-FIN-i-STRATE)<br/>To throw out of a window</p><p>In which Uther gets thrown out of a window.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Window of Opportunity

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own, for entertainment purposes only.
> 
> Enjoy. :)

It was probably a good stroke of luck for the king of Camelot that Uther found out about Merlin's magical abilities on the first floor of the castle.

Arthur had already known about Merlin's magic for three months when Uther finally discovered his son's servant's secret. Arthur had taken it rather well, actually, but as for his father – not so much. The royal court was gathered in the Great Hall for a meeting. The knights, including Gwaine, Lancelot, Elyan, and Percival, were standing off to the side, while the members of the council sat around the table, with Uther and Arthur at the head. King Uther hadn't been the same since Morgana's betrayal, but he had managed to reclaim his throne and was doing relatively well, despite how much his paranoia about magic had grown since his daughter's attempt to take over.

The meeting had been going as these meetings usually went, with the knights and Merlin just managing not to die of boredom, Arthur engaging his father in polite conversation and advice when the time called for it, and Gaius giving Uther suggestions which were instantaneously shot down as soon as they left his mouth. It was hotter than usual that day; Merlin had been told by Arthur to open all the windows in the hall so that some fresh, cooler air could circulate through the room. They were discussing taxes when the Great Hall's door was flung open and a cloaked, pudgy, middle-aged man scrambled into the room, his eyes burning gold.

"Uther Pendragon," the obvious sorcerer roared in a voice an octave higher than one might expect, "your days are over! You've oppressed my kind for too long! An absolute law with no chance of appeal? That's despotism! And the only thing we magicians hate  _more_  than despotism is  _you_!"

Despite his slightly amusing voice and appearance, this sorcerer was apparently pretty powerful. With a flash of golden eyes, he sent a magical dagger soaring Uther's way. Uther went to jump out of the way, but the dagger instantly changed its course so that it was on a collision course with the king's broken heart (remember, he was still sad about Morgana trying to kill him and destroy his kingdom, after all). His eyes went wide with fear, Arthur yelled, "Father!" and looked and Merlin imploringly, and Merlin knew he had to act, even though he knew what the consequences would be.

He jumped in front of the dagger, held out his hand, and with a surge of gold in his eyes, stopped the knife before it could impale the king behind him. "Really?" he said condescendingly, looking at the intruder with raised eyebrows. "A flying  _dagger?_  Hasn't that already been done before? If you're going to get revenge, at least  _try_  to be a little original; I'm getting bored here." He reached out and grasped the handle of the dagger, squeezing the hilt and making it disappear into thin air. He turned to Uther, who was staring at him with a mixture of shock and hatred. "He's all yours, sire," Merlin said respectfully, bowing his head.

* * *

After the potential assassin had been taken from the hall to the dungeons, Merlin stood before the king, Arthur at his side, the knights standing around them, and waited to hear Uther's judgment. "You're a sorcerer!" Uther exclaimed. Merlin and Arthur exchanged weary looks. This was going just about as well as they could have hoped – meaning it wasn't really going well at all. Still, Arthur apparently thought it was worth a shot to fight for his servant.

"Father, he  _saved your life_. If he's evil, why would he do that?"

Uther snarled, "To gain my trust! And then, when the time is ripe, he'll kill me himself! Don't you see? It's a trick, Arthur!"

Arthur argued back, and Uther gave an angry retort, and Merlin looked around the room, trying to gauge the looks on the onlookers' faces. Gaius and Lancelot looked petrified (no surprise there), Leon, Percival, and Elyan had a look on their face that implied all the puzzle pieces were finally coming together, and Gwaine looked panicked. Merlin hoped the fluffy-haired knight wouldn't do anything stupid.

A vain hope, really.

Uther and Arthur were yelling now. Uther had risen from his throne and was advancing toward his son and the servant, eyes flashing. "He is sentenced to death, and that is  _final!_ " Uther spat. "Take him away!"

And while everyone was staring at Merlin, who was, in turn, staring at Arthur, who was trying to stop the guards from advancing on Merlin, something unexpected happened. There was a bit of shuffling, a yell, a thump from somewhere outside the window, a weak "Ouch…", and when everyone looked back to the king… he was gone. His crown, however, was on the floor, spinning slowly, next to an open window.

Arthur's eyes snapped up to Merlin, whose mouth fell open. "Don't look at me!" he protested. "I didn't use magic to throw your father out the window!"

There was an uncomfortable "ahem" as a nervous person cleared their throat, and then Gwaine, who was standing near the window, tried to sidle out of the room, whistling. Both Arthur and Merlin blocked his way. "Ga-waine," Merlin drawled, giving his ale-loving friend an exasperated look that was half-amused and half-scolding.

Gwaine shuffled his feet and studied a speck on his boots. "Yeees?" he said, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Did you throw the king out the window?"

Arthur smacked his palm against his forehead as Gwaine nodded slowly. "Why," the prince asked incredulously, "would you  _do_  that?"

Gwaine looked at the prince. "I panicked," he said solemnly. His eyes were twinkling a bit, though, and both Merlin and Arthur figured he'd enjoyed it more than he was letting on.

Arthur sighed and jerked his head in Gaius's general direction. "I'll go tell Gaius to meet me in his chambers. Leon, you go fetch my father. Merlin…"

"I'll go see if Kilgharrah knows any memory modification spells," Merlin put in helpfully, to which Arthur nodded wearily.

"What can I do?" Gwaine asked, stepping forward, a crooked grin on his handsome, scruffy face.

"Gwaine," Arthur sighed, massaging his temples. "Just… go to your room. I think you've 'helped' enough tonight."

Gwaine sulked for a minute but then remembered that he had a flask of ale under his bed and took off out of the hall. Arthur walked toward Gaius as Leon departed to go find the king who was probably lying somewhere on the ground outside the window.

After everyone had dispersed and Merlin was left alone in the Great Hall, he had to chuckle before heading out to call Kilgharrah. Despite the circumstances, he  _had_  to admit that it  _had_  been a little – okay, maybe a  _lot_  – funny to see Gwaine tossing the king of Camelot out the window.

He went to find the Great Dragon, knowing that someone else was going to get a laugh out of this, too.  _Never a dull day in Camelot_ , he decided as he slipped through the trees, on his way to the meeting spot,  _especially when Gwaine's in the picture._

* * *

Back in his room, Gwaine congratulated himself for doing something he'd been wanting to do since the first time he laid eyes on Uther Pendragon.

"To sweet revenge," he toasted himself, and took a swig of ale.

Best. Day. Ever.


End file.
